A framework for priority-setting in climate smart agriculture research

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is widely promoted as an approach for reorienting agricultural development under the realities of climate change. Prioritising research-for-development activities is crucial, given the need to utilise scarce resources as effectively as possible. However, no framework exists for assessing and comparing different CSA research investments. Several aspects make it challenging to prioritise CSA research, including its multi-dimensional nature (productivity, adaptation and mitigation), the uncertainty surrounding many climate impacts, and the scale and temporal dependencies that may affect the benefits and costs of CSA adoption. Here we propose a framework for prioritising agricultural research investments across scales and review different approaches to setting priorities among agricultural research projects. Many priority-setting case studies address the short- to medium-term and at relatively local scales. We suggest that a mix of actions that span spatial and temporal time scales is needed to be adaptive to a changing climate, address immediate problems and create enabling conditions for enduring change

Symbolism in bank marketing and architecture: the headquarters of National Provincial Bank of England

This article undertakes an analysis of the symbolism present in the architecture and design in nineteenth century British banking. It focuses upon the headquarters of National Provincial Bank of England, which was built in the 1860s. It explores the symbols and messages that those at the bank wished to communicate to those that viewed the building. The analysis finds that those at the bank impressed its national identity, achieved through its extensive branch network, as its key message which differentiated it from its rivals. Other symbols emphasized that it had adapted to the local market and was equal in terms of competency and richness in comparison to its competitors. We argue that these messages became part of the organization’s identity and its brand, as well as the culture of the City of London more broadly. The article provides a new explanation for symbolic meanings represented by bank architecture. It integrates the existing discussion of bank architecture in historical research with the theoretical frameworks and literature being developed in organizational identity and branding

A theoretical model for template-free synthesis of long DNA sequence

This theoretical scheme is intended to formulate a potential method for high fidelity synthesis of Nucleic Acid molecules towards a few thousand bases using an enzyme system. Terminal Deoxyribonucleotidyl Transferase, which adds a nucleotide to the 3′OH end of a Nucleic Acid molecule, may be used in combination with a controlled method for nucleotide addition and degradation, to synthesize a predefined Nucleic Acid sequence. A pH control system is suggested to regulate the sequential activity switching of different enzymes in the synthetic scheme. Current practice of synthetic biology is cumbersome, expensive and often error prone owing to the dependence on the ligation of short oligonucleotides to fabricate functional genetic parts. The projected scheme is likely to render synthetic genomics appreciably convenient and economic by providing longer DNA molecules to start with

Zur Elektronentheorie der Thermoelektrizität

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Predictors of persistent affective disability in bank employees exposed to violent bank robberies.

Subjects exposed to violent bank robberies are at risk for developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Early detection of subjects at high risk may prevent long-term disability. We, therefore, attempted to identify predictors of PTSD in the early stage after trauma exposure. In a 10-year observation period, a number of 117 employees were identified who had been exposed to bank robbery. Complete data sets were assessed in 53 subjects. In 19 % of the cases (n = 10) a full PTSD diagnosis was confirmed. The predictive value of the following variables was assessed: age, time period since index event, threat appraisal, peritraumatic dissociation symptoms (PDS) and symptoms of an acute stress disorder during the first four weeks after exposure. In univariate analysis, age and threat appraisal did not correlate significantly with PTSD, whereas the factor "time period since robbery" was of borderline significance (p = 0,055). Presence of an acute stress disorder (p < 0,002) and PDS (p = 0,028) were significantly associated with subsequent PTSD. In a multivariate analysis, only PDS was highly significant (p = 0,017). In this model, acute stress disorder did not add any further value to predicting PTSD. The study revealed that PDS which is associated with the appraisal of threat during the traumatic event, is significantly related to later PTSD, and, therefore, identifies subjects at risk. PDS can easily be assessed immediately after exposure